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Classified staff press Lee County Board of Education for raises; board vows to seek county help
Summary
Classified employees urged the Lee County Board of Education to fully fund long-promised pay increases and greater pay transparency; the board said it funded one-quarter of a proposed plan and will pursue county funding through a proposed "5 on 5" committee.
Classified employees urged the Lee County Board of Education on Monday evening to finish a multi-year effort to raise pay and to provide clear pay scales and paycheck transparency.
"All we ask is to quit being told and start being shown," said April Stone, a classified employee who listed examples she said reduced take-home pay and described being forced into dual roles such as teaching assistant and bus driver. Stone warned that a county reimbursement request of $640,125.34 could reduce funds available for classified raises.
Alicia Hillier, another classified staffer, cited state overtime guidance and said a recent pay recalculation put her annual pay at $28,362.80. "We are no longer waiting to be picked by a team," Hillier said, urging the board to adopt a fair, stable scale and options such as 12-month pay for hourly staff.
Board leadership responded that the board voted in December to fund one-quarter of the proposed pay plan, which took effect Jan. 1 and will be reflected in February paychecks. The superintendent said district leaders met one-on-one with classified staff to explain the change and to gather feedback.
Madam chair and several board members said the district must balance legal constraints on how capital funds may be spent with the need to increase compensation. To improve coordination with Lee County government, the chair proposed a standing "5 on 5" committee (three members from each board plus finance directors, the county manager and the superintendent) to discuss capital needs, personnel recruitment and retention, and transparent use of special capital allocations.
Board members agreed to pursue county funding in the upcoming budget season and approved two specific county funding requests during the meeting (see related coverage). Several members emphasized that getting ongoing pay raises from the county requires inclusion in the county's budget process rather than a one-time capital allocation.
The meeting concluded with the board directing staff to continue follow-up and communication with classified employees and to bring additional details to future budget discussions.
